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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #147616

Title: EFFECT OF DRINKING WATER ADMINISTRATION OF EXPERIMENTAL CHLORATE ION PREPARATIONS ON SALMONELLA ENTERICA SEROVAR TYPHIMURIUM COLONIZATION IN WEANED AND FINISHED PIGS

Author
item Anderson, Robin
item Hume, Michael
item Genovese, Kenneth - Ken
item Callaway, Todd
item Jung, Yong Soo
item Edrington, Thomas
item Poole, Toni
item Harvey, Roger
item Bischoff, Kenneth
item Nisbet, David

Submitted to: Veterinary Research Communications
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/12/2003
Publication Date: 3/8/2004
Citation: Anderson, R.C., Hume, M.E., Genovese, K.J., Callaway, T.R., Jung, Y., Edrington, T.S., Poole, T.L., Harvey, R.B., Bischoff, K.M., Nisbet, D.J. 2004. Effect of drinking water administration of experimental chlorate ion preparations on Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium colonization in weaner and finished pigs. Veterinary Research Communications. 28:179-189.

Interpretive Summary: Foodborne disease caused by pathogenic Salmonella bacteria is of public health and economic significance, costing the United States swine industry millions of dollars each year. A new experimental pathogen control strategy was tested in pigs to assess its practical effectiveness. After being allowed to drink the experimental treatments containing the active ingredient chlorate for 24 or 36 hours, we found 25-fold fewer Salmonella in the gut of these pigs as compared to that found in the gut of nontreated control pigs. Negative effects of the experimental chlorate treatments on water intake and animal well being were not observed thus indicating the treatments were safe for the animals. These results suggest that the experimental chlorate treatments can be easily and practically administered to pigs in their drinking water just days before slaughter to reduce gut concentrations of Salmonella. This research will help swine producers deliver pigs harboring reduced levels of Salmonella to the slaughter plant thus reducing the overall risk of pork products becoming contaminated during processing. Ultimately, this research will help the swine industry produce microbiologically safe food for the American consumer.

Technical Abstract: Foodborne disease caused by Salmonella is of public health and economic significance. In order to assess the practical effectiveness of a new intervention strategy, experimental chlorate preparations (ECP) were administered via the drinking water to weaned and finished pigs that had been orally challenged the previous day with 10**9 to 10**10 colony forming units of Salmonella Typhimurium. After 24 or 36 hours ad libitum access to 0X, 1X or 2X ECP treatment (0, 15 or 30 mM chlorate ion equivalents, respectively), the pigs were humanely euthanized and gut contents and lymph tissue collected at necropsy were cultured for the challenge Salmonella. Drinking water administration of ECP effectively reduced (P < 0.05) cecal Salmonella concentrations and tended (P less than or equal to 0.10) to reduce rectal Salmonella concentrations. Negative effects of ECP treatment on water intake and animal well being were not observed and only marginal effects on gut fermentation characteristics occurred. Because the bactericidal effect of administering the ECP treatments in drinking water was relatively rapid and because of its ease of use, the results suggest that ECP could be administered to pigs just days before slaughter to reduce gut concentrations of Salmonella.